Adults who were born preterm with a very low birth weight have higher
blood pressure and impaired glucose regulation later in life compared
with those born at term. We investigated cardiometabolic risk factors in
young adults who were born at any degree of prematurity in the Preterm
Birth and Early Life Programming of Adult Health and Disease (ESTER)
Study, a population-based cohort study of individuals born in 1985-1989
in Northern Finland. In 2009-2011, 3 groups underwent clinical
examination: 134 participants born at less than 34 gestational weeks
(early preterm), 242 born at 34-36 weeks (late preterm), and 344 born at
37 weeks or later (controls). Compared with controls, adults who were
born preterm had higher body fat percentages (after adjustment for sex,
age, and cohort (1985-1986 or 1987-1989), for those born early preterm,
difference = 6.2%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.4, 13.2; for those
born late preterm, difference = 8.0%, 95% CI: 2.4, 13.8), waist
circumferences, blood pressure (for those born early preterm, difference
= 3.0 mm Hg, 95% CI: 0.9, 5.1; for those born late preterm, difference =
1.7, 95% CI: -0.1, 3.4), plasma uric acid levels (for those born early
preterm, difference = 20.1%, 95% CI: 7.9, 32.3; for those born late
preterm, difference = 20.2%, 95% CI: 10.7, 30.5), alanine
aminotransferase levels, and aspartate transaminase levels. They were
also more likely to have metabolic syndrome (for those born early
preterm, odds ratio = 3.7, 95% CI: 1.6, 8.2; for those born late
preterm, odds ratio = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.2, 5.3). Elevated levels of
conventional and emerging risk factors suggest a higher risk of
cardiometabolic disease later in life. These risk factors are also
present in the large group of adults born late preterm